Bunko-Style Game

ABSTRACT

A game is provided based on the results of a random value generator, and a playing surface useful for some versions of the game is also provided. Some versions of the game involve a dice game reminiscent of bunko, in which rewards are given based on the results of die rolls. Like bunko, these versions of the game require infrequent decision-making during play, allowing the players to relax and socialize instead of constantly concentrating on the details of play. A gambling version of the game is provided, in which payouts depend in part on the number of target values rolled.

CLAIM FOR PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser.No. 61/051,030 filed on 7 May 2008; and U.S. provisional applicationSer. No. 61/170,957, filed on 20 Apr. 2009.

BACKGROUND

A. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates generally to games of chance and devicesfor use therewith.

B. Background

Bunko is a popular game, played with three dice, that involvesattempting to roll a certain target value on the dice to gain points.The target value corresponds to a round of play (the target value duringround one is 1, the target value during round two is 2, etc.). Asplayers accumulate points, they move to different tables. Although eachplayer has a partner, scoring is partially by team and partially byindividual. Most notably, if a player rolls three target values, sheannounces “bunko!” and is awarded points which her partner does notshare.

Bunko's popularity is due to its social nature. It requires a group oftwelve. There is no decision-making in bunko, the results being entirelycontrolled by the results of non-discretionary rolling of the dice; thesole exception is that a player must remember to announce “bunko” uponrolling three target values in a given roll. As a result, there islittle pressure on the players to concentrate on bunko. The players maytalk without fear of making an error due to the distraction. The playersmay consume alcohol without fear that their judgment will be impairedand harm their play. Because victory or defeat are not affected bydecisions made by the players, those who lose need not feel ashamed andthose who win have little basis on which to assert their superiority.Thus bunko creates little competitive animosity, which is an advantagein the minds of many players.

There is a long-felt need in the art for casino-compatible games thatare attractive to players who do not consider themselves “seriousgamblers,” particularly games that are social. Casino games tend to beof two types: games played by groups of players in which play requiresdecision-making on the part of the players, or solitary mechanical orelectronic games that require little or no decision-making. For example,craps and roulette offer myriad wagers that can be placed, requiring atleast some understanding of the odds of each wager to maximize thechances of the player coming out ahead. Card games, such as blackjack,baccarat, and poker, require the player to decide when to take cards ordiscard them. Games such as slots and keno require no decisions on thepart of the player, but these games are solitary, and provide littleenjoyment to players who take pleasure in the crowd aspect of a casino.

As a result, a person visiting a gaming venue who is not interested inthe sometimes disconcerting intensity of a game of chance requiringdecisions on the part of the player must either play alone with amachine, or choose not to play at all. This results in loss of potentialplayers.

As a result, there is a long-felt but unmet need in the art for acasino-compatible game that requires minimal decisions on the part ofthe player and can be played by a group of players. There is also along-felt but unmet need in the art for an adaptation of the populargame of bunko to a casino-compatible version with standardized rules forrewards or wagering.

SUMMARY

A game of chance is provided that is reminiscent of bunko. A playingsurface suitable for the game is also provided. The game comprises oneor more rounds in which random values are generated and compared to atarget value. The player is rewarded when one or more random valuesgenerated during a round is a certain target value. In some versions ofthe game the player is rewarded if the sum of a predetermined number ofthe random values in a round equals the target value. The target valuemight vary from round to round, as it does in bunko, or it may be thesame in every round. The rewards may be based on a wager placed by theplayer or placed by others. In some embodiments of the game, a bonusreward is granted based on various events that may occur during one ormore rounds; the bonus reward may be based on a separate bonus wager.

The game can be played in numerous embodiments and permutations. Oneembodiment of the game comprises three rounds, in which the target valueis five in every round. Three cubic dice are used to generate randomnumbers. One or more betters place non-bonus wagers on each round, andone or more betters place a bonus wager on a session comprising threerounds. A payout is given on the non-bonus wager if one or more fivesare rolled, or if the sum of the values on the three dice is five. Apayout is given on the bonus wager if during a session three or morefives are rolled (a round in which the sum of the three dice is fivecounts for bonus purposes as one roll of five), if three-of-a-kind arerolled during at least one round, or if three fives are rolled during atleast one round. The various payouts can be varied to achieve a houseedge that provides acceptable revenue for the house and provides anincentive for players to bet.

Various embodiments of the game fulfill at least one of the followingneeds in the art, although it is understood that not all embodiments ofthe game will fulfill them: the need for a casino-compatible game thatresembles bunko; and the need for a casino-compatible game with anenhanced social aspect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the playing surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A. Definitions

In the present disclosure references to the plural are intended toencompass the singular, references to the singular are intended toencompass the plural, references using a male pronoun are intended toencompass the female, and references using a female pronoun are intendedto encompass the male. The term “including” as used herein isnon-exclusive, and is synonymous with “including but not limited to”unless explicitly stated otherwise in the text.

B. Game of Chance

A game of chance is provided based on the generation of a plurality ofrandom values in which rewards are granted based on the random valuesgenerated. The game comprises playing a first round; reading at leastthree random first round values from a random value generator; awardinga first reward if exactly one of the first round values is a firsttarget value; awarding a second reward if exactly two of the first roundvalues is the first target value; awarding a third reward if exactlythree of the first round values is the first target value; and awardinga fourth reward if the sum of any three first round values equals thefirst target value.

Some embodiments of the game further comprise playing a second round;reading at least three random second round values from the random valuegenerator; awarding a fifth reward if exactly one of the second roundvalues is a second target value; awarding a sixth reward if exactly twoof the second round values is the second target value; awarding aseventh reward if exactly three of the second round values is the secondtarget value; and awarding an eighth reward if the sum of any three ofthe second round values equals the second target value. Some embodimentsof the game further comprise playing a third round; reading at leastthree random third round values from the random value generator;awarding a ninth reward if exactly one of the third round values is athird target value; awarding a tenth reward if exactly two of the thirdround values is the third target value; awarding an eleventh reward ifexactly three of the third round values is the third target value; andawarding a twelfth reward if the sum of any three of the third roundvalues equals the third target value.

1. Random Values

The random values may be any types of values. In some embodiments of thegame the values are numbers. In others the values are suits, such asthose used in an Anglo-American deck of cards or a subset thereof. Insome embodiments the values are colors, patterns, shapes, alphabeticletters, characters, words, images, sounds, or a combination of types ofvalues.

One embodiment of the game comprises a set of values in which each valueis a suit in combination with a number or letter, which may correspondto any card in the standard Anglo-American deck (jokers of courselacking a suit); this has the advantage of displaying traditionalgambling symbolism of the Anglo-American deck. Another embodiment of thegame comprises a set of values in which each value is an image of ananimal; this has the advantage of being a more attractive game tochildren. In one example the symbols are hexagrams (a set of sixparallel lines, each one solid or broken) found in the I. Ching symbolicsystem; these values have the advantage of familiarity in the Far Eastand amongst those knowledgeable in Eastern religion. The values may alsobe similar or identical to card faces in decks other than theAnglo-American deck, including the German deck, the French deck, theCentral European deck, the Jass deck, an Italian deck (of any region),the Spanish deck, the Karuta deck, and the Hwatu deck. Of course,symbols from card faces of any deck can be used, each having theadvantage of familiarity to a certain group of players in a certainregion of the world.

2. Random Value Generator

The random value generator may be any device for generating randomvalues. Popular random value generators include dice, cards, spinners,wheels, and computers.

In one embodiment the random value generator comprises at least one die.Dice have the advantage of dramatic presentation: players can throwthem, there is an anticipatory delay between initiation of the roll andresolution, and they generate a pleasing sound during the roll. Dicehave the advantage of being associated both with bunko and withtraditional casino games, particularly the popular game of craps.Generally each face of a given die would bear a unique value, but agiven value could also be placed on more than one face of a die. Thedice may be cubic dice with six sides. Cubic dice have the advantage offamiliarity to most rollers, in addition to being used in traditionalgames such as bunko and craps. However, variations of the game can beplaced with other commonly known polyhedral dice, including tetrahedraldice, octahedral dice, decahedral dice, dodecahedral dice, andicosahedral dice. Irregular polyhedra can also be used as dice, althoughtheir tendency to favor some faces and not others complicates oddscalculations. For casino-based games, precision dice may be used.

In some embodiments of the game the dice are thrown by hand, in others arolling aid is used. Rolling by hand has the advantage of enhancedexcitement of the roller and an increased feeling of participation bythe roller. Rolling aids have the advantage of preventing unfairmanipulation of the dice by the roller. The rolling aid may be forexample a dice cup, as is used in backgammon and other games. Dice cupscome in a variety of shapes and sizes. The shallow capped cup used inpai gow (a “pai gow cup”) has the advantage of preventing contactbetween the roller's hands and the dice during the roll, which is anadded assurance against manipulation of the dice.

Embodiments of the random value generator also include playing cards.Each playing card bears a value. The cards may be dealt to a player ormay be drawn by the player. Any type of deck may be used. The number ofcards in the deck and the number of cards bearing each value may bemanipulated to achieve desirable odds. Cards have the advantage of beingassociated with traditional casino games such as poker and blackjack.Dealing cards to the players has the advantage of enhanced securityagainst manipulation of the random value generator by the player. Cardsalso allow the dealer to control the pace of the game, which is anadvantage if the game is being centrally managed (for example by acasino).

Embodiments of the random value generator include a computing devicethat is designed or programmed to generate random numbers. Anyalgorhythm for producing random numbers may be used. These may includeso-called pseudo-random number generators, which have a tendency torepeat after tens of thousands of random numbers have been generated.Pseudo-random number generators have the advantages of relativesimplicity and speed of execution. Higher quality random numbergenerators may be used, which have the advantage of less repetition andgeneral higher quality of randomness. For example, high-quality randomvalues can be generated from unpredictable physical processes, such asrandom noise from an analog circuit.

Various other random value generators can be used, such as a top, aflipped coin, a roulette wheel, a spinner, etc.

3. Rewards

Rewards are available after every round. The rewards may include amonetary reward, a non-monetary prize with monetary value, a purelysymbolic reward, or a combination thereof. The symbolic reward mayinclude a victory title (such as “winner” or “runner up”), a victorymemento (such as a trophy, cup, stuffed animal, or medal), points, andproxy currency (such as non-exchangeable chips, imitation coins, orimitation paper money). The reward may include a valuable non-monetaryprize.

If any of the rewards is monetary, the amount may depend on a wager orfee offered by the player, or may be independent of the same. In someembodiments of the game a player pays a fee to play for a certain amountof time or a certain number of rounds and receives monetary rewards; insuch an embodiment the amount of the monetary rewards is set based onthe fee.

In some embodiments of the game a wager is placed by a player, and themonetary rewards are set based on the wager. In some embodiments a wageris accepted for each round, prior to reading the random value generator.Each of the first through twelfth rewards depend on the wager for theappropriate round (the first through fourth rewards depend on a firstround wager, the fifth through eighth rewards depend on a second roundwager, and the ninth through twelfth rewards are based on the thirdround wager). The reward will be proportional to the wager.

The rewards may vary from one round to the next or the rewards may beconstant between rounds. Some embodiments of the game comprise a one-hitpayout, a two-hit payout, a three-hit payout, and a three-sum payout.The one-hit payout is honored in a round if exactly one of the randomvalues is the target value. The two-hit payout is honored in a round ifexactly two of the random values are the target value. The three-hitpayout is honored in a round if at least three of the random values arethe target value. The three-sum payout is honored if the sum of threevalues in a round equal exactly the target value. A payout is aproportion of the wager to the reward; thus, the reward will be thewager multiplied by the payout. In this disclosure the phrase “a payouton a wager” is intended to mean “a payout multiplied by a wager.”

The wager may be accepted before each round, or before a set number ofrounds. In some embodiments of the game, a wager is accepted before eachround. For example, if three rounds are played, the game may furthercomprise at least one of accepting a first round wager, a second roundwager, and a third round wager.

In some embodiments of the game in which three or more rounds areplayed, and in which a wager may be accepted on one or more rounds, thefirst reward is the one-hit payout on the first round wager, the secondreward is the two-hit payout on the first round wager, the third rewardis the three-hit payout on the first round wager, the fourth reward isthe three-sum payout on the first round wager, the fifth reward is theone-hit payout on the second round wager, the sixth reward is thetwo-hit payout on the second round wager, the seventh reward is thethree-hit payout on the second round wager, the eighth reward is thethree-sum payout on the second round wager the ninth reward is theone-hit payout on the third round wager, the tenth reward is the two-hitpayout on the third round wager, the eleventh reward is the three-hitpayout on the third round wager, and the twelfth reward is the three-sumpayout on the third round wager.

Games comprising wagers and payouts are gambling games. Gamblingtypically occurs in the context of a house, which is generally a privatecasino but may be in some instances a charitable institution, stategovernment, or tribal government. The various payouts are typically setto balance two competing factors: the need to produce income from thegame (which is enhanced when the payouts are low), and the need toprovide an incentive for players to participate (which is enhanced whenthe payouts are high). The combination of the payouts is embodied in the“house edge.” The house edge is a value between zero and one, which isthe difference between the product of the probability of no payout beinghonored and the wager and the product of the probability of each payoutbeing honored, the payout, and the wager. Ultimately, the house edge isa measure of the likely return on the player's wagers.

The house edge on the wagers described above (designated “non-bonuswagers” in light of the bonus wagers described later) will depend on howmuch income is deemed to be needed and how much player incentive isdeemed to be needed. These will vary depending on the circumstance. Theamount of income needed will depend on many factors, most notably thehouse's costs and the house's for-profit or non-profit status. Theamount of needed player incentive is more complex. It may depend on thesophistication of the players, who may avoid games they know to have ahigh house edge (sophisticated players tend to congregate in gamblingcenters). It will partially depend on the popularity of the game. Thepopularity of a given game may vary regionally or according to socialtrends. The popularity of the game will be enhanced in some cases by thegames low degree of player control, which allows players to enjoy thegame without suffering for lack of experience in gambling and withoutdemanding concentration on the game, which a player not seriouslyconcerned with gambling will consider more enjoyable.

Thus, the house edge may be set at any value between zero and one(0-100%). In a casino environment, in which players have a range ofchoices of games to play, and in which the casino must cover itsoverhead, a house edge that is generally considered a desirable balancebetween income and incentive is about 2-5%. The easier it is to attractplayers, the higher the house edge may be. Thus a wide range of houseedges on the non-bonus wager may be desirable under variouscircumstances. Various casino games have widely divergent house edges.Depending on the bet, the house edge in craps ranges from 1.41% to13.89%. The house edge in keno ranges from 25-29%. The house edge formost slot machines is 2-15%. The house edge for blackjack (as played inLas Vegas, Nev.) is 0.28% if properly played. The house edge for sic-boranges from 2.78-33.33%. All of these games are commercially successful,despite the great variation in house edge. Thus, it is clear that ahouse edge anywhere from about zero to about 33% will be acceptable. Aneven higher house edge will be acceptable under some circumstances, asthe edges cited above are for major casino games under normalcircumstances. If players have fewer options, a house edge as high as,for example, 50% may be acceptable.

One possible scheme of payouts on the non-bonus wager comprises aone-hit payout of about 1:1, a two-hit payout of about 2:1, a three-hitpayout of about 3:1, and a three sum payout of about 1:1. This schemehas the clear advantage of being easily memorized by players, as theymerely multiply their wager by the number of target values to determinehow much they have won. As shown in Table 1, in an embodiment of thegame comprising three rounds in which three cubic dice are rolled eachround, this scheme also has the advantage of providing a competitivehouse edge of 2.3148%, which provides a good incentive for players toparticipate and will generally provide adequate revenue.

TABLE 1 Event Probability Payout Reward Three hits  0.463% 3:1 0.013889Two hits  6.9444% 2:1 0.138889 One hit 34.7222% 1:1 0.347222 Three-sum 2.7778% 1:1 0.027778 Lose 55.0926% −1:1   −0.550926 Non-Bonus HouseEdge 0.023148It is within the capabilities of those of ordinary skill in the art tovary one or more of the payouts to adjust the house edge as needed,without undue experimentation.

Some embodiments of the game further comprise accepting a bonus wagerand awarding a bonus payout on the bonus wager. The bonus wager isplaced before a session comprising one or more rounds. The payout on thebonus wager depends on the occurrence of certain events during thesession. The bonus wager has the advantage of providing additionalwagering opportunities, and of providing higher payouts for rare events.Because the bonus payout may depend on combinations of over three randomvalues, it may provide higher payouts than the non-bonus payouts onevents rarer than those with which the non-bonus payouts are associated.

Some embodiments of the game comprise defining a “bonus hit” as havingoccurred if any value rolled is the target value, or if the sum of anythree values rolled in a given round equal the target value; and atleast one of (a) awarding a three-hit bonus payout on the bonus wager ifthe union of the first round values, the second round values, and thethird round values comprises exactly three bonus hits; (b) awarding afour-hit bonus payout on the bonus wager if the union of the first roundvalues, the second round values, and the third round values comprisesexactly four bonus hits; (c) awarding a five-hit bonus payout on thebonus wager if the union of the first round values, the second roundvalues, and the third round values comprises at least five bonus hits;(d) awarding a three-of-a-kind bonus payout on the bonus wager if atleast one of the first round values, the second round values, or thethird round values comprise three identical values; and (e) awarding abunko bonus payout on the bonus wager if at least one of the first roundvalues, the second round values, or the third round values comprisethree of the target value. In some versions, if more tan one bonuscondition applies, then only the single highest applicable bonus payouton the bonus wager is honored; this has the advantage of simplicity andease of calculation.

The bonus wager has the further advantage of providing another means toadjust the income derived from the game. For example, the non-bonushouse edge may be reduced if there is a relatively high bonus houseedge. Although the house's income will be reduced on the non-bonuswagers, increased income from the bonus wagers may compensate. The bonuswager also provides the player the enhanced excitement of making ahigh-risk high-reward wager without making the overall odds unfavorableto the player.

In one example, the three-hit bonus payout is about 1:1, the four-hitbonus payout is about 1:1, the five-hit bonus payout is about 20:1, thethree-of-a-kind bonus payout is about 3:1, and the bunko bonus payout isabout 5:1. This provides a bonus house edge of 12.4906%, as shown inTable 2.

TABLE 2 Event Probability Payout Reward Five-hit 0.9631% 20:1  0.192611Four-hit 3.6933% 1:1 0.036933 Three-hit 13.5200% 1:1 0.135200 Bunko0.9954% 5:1 0.049772 Three-of-a-kind 6.7215% 3:1 0.201646 Lose 74.1068%−1:1   −0.741068 Bonus House Edge 0.124906Again, it is well within the abilities of one having ordinary skill inthe art to vary the payouts to produce a desired bonus house edge.

The bonus house edge may be adjusted to achieve a desirable return onboth bets cumulatively. In embodiments of the game in which the bonusbet is optional, such a “cumulative house edge” will partially depend onthe behavior of players, in particular how often players place bonuswagers and how large the bonus wagers are compared to the non-bonuswagers. These data will of necessity be determined empirically, and maywell vary from venue to venue. The desirable range of cumulative houseedges is the same as the range discussed for the non-bonus house edge.The bonus house edge may be within a wide range, and may be much higherthan what would normally be considered an acceptable edge for thenon-bonus wager because of the optional nature of the bonus wager. Forexample, a bonus house edge of up to 60% (or any sub-range therein)would be appropriate under some circumstances, for example if thenon-bonus house edge is low, or if one or more bonus payouts are veryhigh (creating a high degree of risk-reward excitement).

In some embodiments of the game a wager is accepted from an additionalplayer (or a plurality of additional players). The additional player isnot the “roller,” but places her wager on the results of another's roll(the term “roll” being used broadly in this context to refer to readingthe results of the random value generator). In such embodiments theroller may be required to place a non-bonus wager on each round. Thishas the advantage of increasing the excitement of the roller having herturn. In other embodiments the roller may participate so long as atleast one player places a wager. This has the advantage of allowing aroller to participate who may be perceived to be on a “lucky streak,”but has no interest in placing a wager.

C. Playing Surface

The disclosure provides a playing surface 1 for use in the disclosedgame (and potentially for other purposes as well), as illustrated inFIG. 1. The playing surface 1 comprises a stickman area 100 and a playerarea 200. The stickman area 100 and the player roughly correspond to anarea that can be reached by a stickman positioned adjacent to thestickman area 100 and by a player positioned adjacent to the player area200, respectively. The stickman area 100 may be an area reachable by thestickman using a reach-enhancing tool for manipulation of dice, cash, orchips, such as a craps stick. The stickman area 100 will advantageouslybe positioned outside of the easy reach of all players, to preventtampering with dice, cash or chips. The distance from the position ofthe player to the stickman area 100 may be for example about at least18-24 inches.

In some embodiments of the surface the player area 200 comprises aprimary wager area 300. A number of primary wager areas 300 may bepresent equal to the capacity of the surface to accommodate players, oneper player. The primary wager area 300 may comprise a non-bonus wagerspot 40, which designates where a non-bonus wager is placed prior to around. The non-bonus wager spot 40 is detectable to the player due tothe presence of a mark. The mark may be a visible mark, such as a circleprinted on the surface, or any other visibly detectable mark. The markmay be a tactile mark, for example an area of differential roughnessfrom the surrounding parts of the surface. In some embodiments the markis both visible and tactile. Some embodiments of the surface comprise aplurality of non-bonus wager spots 40 in the primary wager area 300. Anynumber of non-bonus wager spots 40 may be present, for example a numberequal to the number of rounds in a session. In some embodiments in whichthe primary wager area 300 comprises a plurality of non-bonus wagerspots 40, the primary wager area 300 comprises a first round non-bonuswager spot 41, a second round non-bonus wager spot 42, and a third roundnon-bonus wager spot 43. In such embodiments each of the plurality ofnon-bonus wager spots 40 may be marked in the same manner as the others,or all non-bonus wager spots 40 may be marked differently.

The non-bonus wager spot 40 is positioned close enough to the player toallow the player to easily place wagers, but far enough from the playerto prevent or render more difficult tampering with the wager withoutdetection. The distance from the player to the non-bonus wager spot 40may be for example about 5-6 inches.

In some embodiments of the surface the primary wager area 300 comprisesa bonus wager spot. The bonus wager spot 50 may be marked in any mannerthat is appropriate for the non-bonus wager spot 40. The bonus wagerspot 50 may be marked with dramatic colors or shapes to reflect thehigh-risk high-reward nature of the bonus wager; this is desirable toencourage the placement of bonus wagers. The bonus wager spot 50 may beanywhere in the primary wagering area 300, advantageously close enoughto the player to allow the player to easily place wagers, but far enoughfrom the player to prevent or render more difficult tampering with thewager without detection. In some embodiments of the surface the bonuswager spot 50 is slightly further from the players than the non-bonuswager spot 40, for example about 6-8 inches.

Some embodiments of the surface comprise a dice spot 60. The dice spot60 is detectably marked. The dice spot 60 is detectable to the stickman.In some embodiments of the surface the dice spot 60 is detectable to theplayers as well. Some embodiments of the surface comprise a dice spot 60that is located in the stickman area 100. Some embodiments of thesurface comprise a plurality of dice spots 60 in the player area 200.Some such embodiments comprise one dice spot 60 per primary wager area300, so that each player has a dice spot 60.

The stickman area 100 may further comprise at least one of a chip bank70 and a cash repository 80.

Some embodiments of the surface further comprise at least one of: arules display 90, a payout display 100, and a game identifier 110. Insuch embodiments these elements will be positioned so that they can beperceived and understood by players and potential players. The rulesdisplay 90 and the payout display 100 explain in some communicativemedium the rules of the game and the payoffs, respectively. Thecommunicative medium may be any known in the art, including alphabeticletters, characters, illustrations, symbols, tactile media (such asBraille or Moon type), or audio. The game identifier 110 comprises adisplay showing what game is being played, for example comprising thewritten name of the game and/or an illustration or symbol associatedwith it.

Some embodiments of the surface comprise a component of a table, forexample a “D” shaped table typically used in casino card games. Thesurface may also be part of an equivalent structure, for example a bar.

D. Facilities

The disclosure provides facilities and processes for their operation.One embodiment of the facilities comprises a table for playing any ofthe games disclosed herein. In this context a “table” refers to any areathat is set up and specifically used for a particular game at some pointin time. Also provided is a process comprising operating a gamingfacility and performing any of the games disclosed herein at thefacility. The facility may be solely or primarily dedicated to gaming,such as a casino. The facility may also have another primary purpose andprovide games, for example a cruise ship with an onboard casino or afair with a gaming tent. Such facilities, although diverse, aregenerally well understood by the public.

E. EXAMPLES

1. Casino Game Styled After Bunko

One embodiment of the game is a game suitable for play in a commercialcasino that is styled after the popular traditional game bunko. Therandom value generator in this version is three cubic dice, as are usedin bunko. The target value is the same number throughout the game, forexample five. Each roller throws the dice for a three-round session. Theroller has the option of placing a non-bonus wager on each round and abonus wager on each session. It is not mandatory that the roller herselfplace a wager, so long as a player places a wager. The dice are rolledusing a pai gow cup to prevent manipulation of the dice by the roller.In some versions a casino employee (referred to herein as the“stickman,” although unlike craps, a stick is not necessarily used tomanipulate the dice) may retrieve the pai gow cup after it has beenshaken by the roller to reveal the roll. In other versions the playerherself reveals the roll. In any case, the stickman retrieves the dicebetween rolls to prevent manipulation of the dice, Wagers in the form ofchips are placed on designated spots located on a playing surface (suchas those described above), and there may or may not be a designated spotfor placing the pai gow cup to reveal the roll. Such designated spotsare located on the surface a distance from the players that limits theplayers' ability to tamper with the wagers or pia gow cup withoutdetection.

The house honors payouts on the non-bonus wager in the form of a one-hitpayout at 1:1, a two-hit payout at 2:1, a three-hit payout at 3:1, and athree-sum payout at 1:1. The payouts are the same for all three rounds.The non-bonus house edge is 2.1348%. The house honors payouts on thebonus wager at the end of a session, in the form of a three-hit bonuspayout of 1:1, a four-hit bonus payout of 1:1, a five-hit bonus payoutof 20:1, a bunko payout of 5:1, and three-of-a-kind payout of 3:1. Ifmore than one bonus payout condition is met, only the highest bonuspayout is honored. This is independent of and in addition to anynon-bonus payout. The resulting bonus house edge is 12.4906%.

2. Table for Use with the Game

An exemplary embodiment of the playing surface is a D-shaped table asshown in FIG. 1. The stickman occupies the middle portion of the linearside of the D. The table accommodates six players, who are positionedaround the curvature of the table. The table comprises six primary wagerareas 300 scorresponding to the positions of the six players. Eachprimary wager area 300 comprises three non-bonus wager spots 50. Thethree non-bonus wager spots 50 correspond to the first round wager, thesecond round wager, and the third round wager. The non-bonus wager spots40 may be numerically marked to indicate the round corresponding to thewager on that spot.

The non-bonus wager spots 40 are positioned close enough to the playerto allow the player to easily place wagers, but far enough from theplayer to prevent or render more difficult tampering with the wagerwithout detection. In this exemplary embodiment the non-bonus wagerspots 40 are positioned about 5-6″ from the edge of the table.

Each primary wager area 300 further comprises a bonus wager spot 50. Thebonus wager spot 50 is distinct in appearance from the non-bonus wagerspots 40. In this exemplary embodiment the bonus wager spot 50 ispositioned to the right of the non-bonus wager spot 40 s, and slightlymore distant from the player, about 6.5-7.5″ from the player's edge ofthe table.

The table comprises a dice spot 60 located near the stickman (adjacentto the chip bank 70 described below, and at least about 24″ from theplayer) and about equidistant from the two corners of the table. Thedice spot 60 is marked by a circular marking slightly larger than thediameter of the pai gow cup. The table further comprises a chip bank 70and a cash repository 80 in front of the stickman.

F. Conclusions

The invention can be embodied in a wide variety of forms and mediaincluding, but not limited to, single player slot video machines,multi-player slot video machines, electronic games and devices, lotteryterminals, scratch-card formats, internet gambling sites, software aswell as in-flight, home, and Internet entertainment. In addition, theinvention can be readily implemented as a computer program product(e.g., floppy disk, compact disc, etc.) comprising a computer readablemedium having control logic recorded therein to implement the featuresof the invention as described in relation to the other preferredembodiments. The control logic can be loaded into the memory of acomputer and executed by a central processing unit to perform theoperations described herein.

The foregoing description illustrates and describes the processes,machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, and other teachings ofthe present disclosure. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describesonly certain embodiments of the processes, machines, manufactures,compositions of matter, and other teachings disclosed, but, as mentionedabove, it is to be understood that the teachings of the presentdisclosure are capable of use in various other combinations,modifications, and environments and is capable of changes ormodifications within the scope of the teachings as expressed herein,commensurate with the skill and/or knowledge of a person having ordinaryskill in the relevant art. The embodiments described hereinabove arefurther intended to explain certain best modes known of practicing theprocesses, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, and otherteachings of the present disclosure and to enable others skilled in theart to utilize the teachings of the present disclosure in such, orother, embodiments and with the various modifications required by theparticular applications or uses. Accordingly, the processes, machines,manufactures, compositions of matter, and other teachings of the presentdisclosure are not intended to limit the exact embodiments and examplesdisclosed herein.

1. A method of playing a game of chance, comprising: (a) playing a firstround; (b) reading at least three random first round values from arandom value generator; (c) awarding a first reward if exactly one ofthe first round values is a first target value; (d) awarding a secondreward if exactly two of the first round values is the first targetvalue; (e) awarding a third reward if exactly three of the first roundvalues is the first target value; and (f) awarding a fourth reward ifthe sum of any three first round values equals the first target value.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the random values are numbers, thefirst target value is five, the second target value is five, and thethird target value is five.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: (a) playing a second round; (b) reading at least threerandom second round values from a random value generator; (c) awarding afifth reward if exactly one of the second round values is a secondtarget value; (d) awarding a sixth reward if exactly two of the secondround values is the second target value; (e) awarding a seventh rewardif exactly three of the second round values is the second target value;and (f) awarding an eighth reward if the sum of any three of the secondround values equals the second target value.
 4. The method of claim 3,further comprising: (a) playing a third round; (b) reading at leastthree random third round values from the random value generator; (c)awarding a ninth reward if exactly one of the third round values is athird target value; (d) awarding a tenth reward if exactly two of thethird round values is the third target value; (e) awarding an eleventhreward if exactly three of the third round values is the third targetvalue; and (f) awarding a twelfth reward if the sum of any three of thethird round values equals the third target value.
 5. The method of claim4 further comprising at least one of the following betting cycles: (a)accepting a first round wager, wherein the first reward is a one-hitpayout on the first round wager, the second reward is a two-hit payouton the first round wager, the third reward is a three-hit payout on thefirst round wager, and the fourth reward is a three-sum payout on thefirst round wager; (b) accepting a second round wager, wherein the fifthreward is the one-hit payout on the second round wager, the sixth rewardis the two-hit payout on the second round wager, the seventh reward isthe three-hit payout on the second round wager, and the eighth reward isthe three-sum payout on the second round wager; and (e) accepting athird round wager, wherein the ninth reward is the one-hit payout on thethird round wager, the tenth reward is the two-hit payout on the thirdround wager, the eleventh reward is the three-hit payout on the thirdround wager, and the twelfth reward is the three-sum payout on the thirdround wager.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one-hit payout isabout 1:1, the two-hit payout is about 2:1, the three-hit payout isabout 3:1, and the three sum payout is about 1:1.
 7. The method of claim5, further comprising: accepting a bonus wager and awarding a bonuspayout on the bonus wager.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprisingawarding a bonus payout on the bonus wager according to a schedulecomprising: (a) defining a “bonus hit” as having occurred if any valuerolled is the target value, or if the sum of any three values rolled ina given round equal the target value; (b) awarding a three-hit bonuspayout on the bonus wager if the union of the first round values, thesecond round values, and the third round values comprises exactly threebonus hits; (c) awarding a four-hit bonus payout on the bonus wager ifthe union of the first round values, the second round values, and thethird round values comprises exactly four bonus hits; (d) awarding afive-hit bonus payout on the bonus wager if the union of the first roundvalues, the second round values, and the third round values comprises atleast five bonus hits; (e) awarding a three-of-a-kind bonus payout onthe bonus wager if at least one of the first round values, the secondround values, or the third round values comprise three identical values;(f) awarding a bunko bonus payout on the bonus wager if at least one ofthe first round values, the second round values, or the third roundvalues comprise three of the target value; and (g) awarding only thesingle highest applicable bonus payout on the bonus wager.
 9. The methodof claim 8, wherein the one-hit payout is about 1:1, the two-hit payoutis about 2:1, the three-hit payout is about 3:1, the three-sum payout isabout 1:1 the three-hit bonus payout is about 1:1, the four-hit bonuspayout is about 1:1, the five-hit bonus payout is about 20:1, thethree-of-a-kind bonus payout is about 3:1, and the bunko bonus payout isabout 5:1.
 10. The method of claim 8, (a) wherein a non-bonus house edgeis a function of the one-hit payout, the two-hit payout, the three-hitpayout, and the three-sum payout; (b) wherein the non-bonus house edgegreater than at least one of about 0%, about 5%, about 10%, about 15%,about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 45%, and about 50%;and (c) wherein the non-bonus house edge is less than at least one ofabout 0%, about 5%, about 10%, about 15%, about 20%, about 25%, about30%, about 35%, about 45%, and about 50%.
 11. The method of claim 8, (a)wherein a bonus house edge is a function of the three-hit bonus payout,the four-hit bonus payout, the five hit bonus payout, thethree-of-a-kind bonus payout, and the bunko bonus payout; and (b)wherein the bonus house edge is from about 0% to about 60%.
 12. Themethod of claim 8 further comprising at least one of: (a) accepting anadditional first round wager; (b) accepting an additional second roundwager; (c) accepting an additional third round wager; and (d) acceptingan additional bonus wager; and further comprising awarding a payout onat least one additional wager.
 13. A method of playing a game of chance,comprising the steps of: (a) accepting a first round wager, a secondround wager, and a third round wager; (b) accepting a bonus wager; (c)reading a set of random values from a random value generator, the set ofrandom values comprising a first round subset that comprises threerandom values, a second round subset that comprises three random values,and a third round subset that comprises three random values; (d)awarding a payout on at least one of the first round wager, second roundwager, or third round wager according to a schedule comprising: (i)awarding a one-target payout on the first round wager if the first roundsubset comprises exactly one of a target value; (ii) awarding atwo-target payout on the first round wager if the first round subsetcomprises exactly two of the target value; (iii) awarding a three-targetpayout on the first round wager if the first round subset comprisesexactly three of the target value; (iv) awarding a three-sum payout onthe first round wager if the sum of any three values of the first-roundsubset equals the target value; (v) awarding the one-target payout onthe second round wager if the second round subset comprises exactly oneof the target value; (vi) awarding the two-target payout on the secondround wager if the second round subset comprises exactly two of thetarget value; (vii) awarding the three-target payout on the second roundwager if the second round subset comprises exactly three of the targetvalue; (viii) awarding the three-sum payout on the second round wager ifthe sum of any three values of the second-round subset equals the targetvalue; (ix) awarding the one-target payout on the third round wager ifthe third round subset comprises exactly one of a target value; (x)awarding the two-target payout on the third round wager if the thirdround subset comprises exactly two of the target value; (xi) awardingthe three-target payout on the third round wager if the third roundsubset comprises exactly three of the target value; (xii) awarding thethree-sum payout on the third round wager if the sum of any three valuesof the third-round subset equals the target value; (e) awarding a bonuspayout on the bonus wager according to a schedule comprising: (i)defining a “bonus hit” as having occurred if any value rolled is thetarget value, or if the sum of any three values rolled in a given roundequal the target value; (ii) awarding a three-hit bonus payout on thebonus wager if the set of random values comprises exactly three bonushits; (iii) awarding a four-hit bonus payout on the bonus wager if theset of random values comprises exactly four bonus hits; (iv) awarding afive-hit bonus payout on the bonus wager if the set of random valuescomprises at least five bonus hits; (v) awarding a three-of-a-kind bonuspayout on the bonus wager if at least one of the first round subset, thesecond round subset, or the third round subset comprises three identicalvalues; (vi) awarding a bunko bonus payout on the bonus wager if atleast one of the first round subset, the second round subset, or thethird round subset comprises three of the target value; and (vii)awarding only the single highest applicable bonus payout on the bonuswager.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one-hit payout is about1:1, the two-hit payout is about 2:1, the three-hit payout is about 3:1,the three-sum payout is about 1:1, the three-hit bonus payout is about1:1, the four-hit bonus payout is about 1:1, the five-hit bonus payoutis about 20:1, the three-of-a-kind bonus payout is about 3:1, and thebunko bonus payout is about 5:1.
 15. The method of claim 13 (a) whereina non-bonus house edge is determined by the one-hit payout, the two-hitpayout, the three-hit payout, and the three-sum payout; (b) wherein thenon-bonus house edge greater than at least one of: about 0%, about 1%,about 2%, about 3%, about 4%, about 5%, about 10%, about 15%, about 20%,about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 45%, and about 50%; and (e)wherein the non-bonus house edge is less than at least one of: about 0%,about 1%, about 2%, about 3%, about 4%, about 5%, about 10%, about 15%,about 20%, about 25%, about 30%, about 35%, about 45%, and about 50%.16. The method of claim 15, wherein the non-bonus house edge is about2-5%.
 17. The method of claim 16, (a) wherein a bonus house edge is afuinction of the three-hit bonus payout, the four-hit bonus payout, thefive hit bonus payout, the three-of-a-kind bonus payout, and the bunkobonus payout; and (b) wherein the bonus house edge is from about 0% toabout 60%.
 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the random valuegenerator comprises three dice.
 19. The method of claim 13, wherein therandom values are numbers, the first target value is five, the secondtarget value is five, and the third target value is five.
 20. (canceled)21. (canceled)
 22. (canceled)
 23. (canceled)
 24. (canceled) 25.(canceled)
 26. A playing surface for use with the method of claim 1,comprising: (a) a player area, the player area comprising: (i) anon-bonus wager spot; (ii) a bonus wager spot; and (b) a stickman areacomprising a dice spot.
 27. The playing surface of claim 20, wherein thenon-bonus wager spot is a first round wager spot, and furthercomprising: (a) a second round wager spot; and (b) a third round wagerspot.
 28. The playing surface of claim 21, further comprising aplurality of player areas.
 29. The playing surface of claim 20, whereinsaid playing surface is part of a table.
 30. A process comprisingoperating a gaming facility and performing the game of claim 1 at saidfacility.
 31. The process of claim 24, wherein the facility is selectedfrom the group consisting of a casino and a passenger liner.